To achieve an Ultimate Goal of Universal and Perpetual peace, it is every man’s responsibility to manifest his vastly virtuous inborn spiritual characteristics- a message  found in the prime teachings of all the world’s the great religions: Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam (There are many more not listed here). In so doing can man co-ordinate God’s divine purpose of presenting man with dominionship over all His other creations.

The majority of the world’s population, who are lacking spiritual maturity, choose to dedicate their lives to the pursuit of material interests and physical comforts. Owing to conflicting misconceptions about what constitutes an ideal livelihood, men repeatedly ensnare themselves in a life of constant fear, as well as relentlessly perpetuating enmity against one another. In so doing how can a world of people, who in reality bear at the very core of their beingness high Spiritual Values, hope to establish a positive and fully developed world filled with Universal Harmony?

For Example:

How do we produce and fully complete a circle with equivalent distances from the circumference to its centre as shown in the diagram?

First and foremost we must locate the centre of the circle, next using that centre as a point of reference, we complete the circumference. Without doubt all distances from the circumference to the centre point will be equal.

From the given example we are able to reflect that all things and affairs in this Universe have their root and their completion in order to function systematically and harmoniously. If each individual is not born with a law to pursue the result will turn out to be a mass of chaotic confusion. Accordingly there are two Laws of Order to be distinguished. One, the Universal Law of Nature which exists long before heaven and earth; this is further categorized into materialistic and metaphysics. The other, the Law imposed by man.

From the material point of view, the speculation of the various planets and their orbits comes under the principle of science; whereas the consciousness of spiritual existence which is beyond time and space comes to our awareness through the firm conviction of religions.

Running in line with today’s modern world of technology, are some major worldly religions:

1. Taoism being the earliest has a historical record of more than four thousand years.

2. Confucianism and Buddhism more than two thousand five hundred years.

3. Christianity more than one thousand nine hundred years.

4. Islam being the latest with a history of almost a thousand years.

* There are more religions. The religions listed here are just examples.

Even though generation after generation has passed, these age old religions still prevail strongly in the hearts of innumerable believers. What is the power of their immense foundation? The practical reason is that though these current faiths may vary in name or title they are essentially from the same vital or Principle source which is more commonly known as the Universal Law of Truth, or the Great Tao. This fundamental Truth is confirmed on nearly every page of the Scriptures.

The five great philosophers: Lao-Tsze; Confucius; Buddha; Jesus Christ and Muhammad, having attained enlightenment after a long and unbending quest for their Spiritual Roots, illuminated the world from further moral deterioration with their discourses. Although these five great spiritual teachers lived in different eras, and though their teaching methods contrast with one another due to the time of their existence, they are in fact contributing a share of the dissemination of the Universal Truth of the Great Tao.

Sage Lao-Tsze

According to the discourses of Lao-Tsze which being boundless, spaceless, and undiminished by time, runs its own natural course. It is not regulated by any material force. Tao exists prior to the existence of heaven and earth and is the benefactor of all universal creations.

Lao-Tsze said: “The Tao that can be trodden is not the enduring and unchanging Tao. The name that can be named is not the enduring and unchanging name. Conceived of as having no name, it is the Originator of heaven and earth; conceived of having a name, it is the Mother of all things.”

When man began to move away from his virtuous root, Lao-Tsze commissioned himself to propagate the reality of man’s genuine life. To divert himself from the natural and pure way of life, and instead indulge himself excessively for his selfish gain, man will inevitably bring upon himself a string of misfortunes. Therefore the ‘good’ and ‘ill’ fate of man is of his own doing.

Lao-Tsze said: “There is no guilt greater than to sanction ambition; no calamity greater than to be discontented with one’s lot; no fault greater than the wish to be getting. Therefore the sufficiency of contentment is an enduring and unchanging sufficiency.”

Sage Confucius:

Confucius was born in an era of disorder from 551 B.C. to 479 B.C. the worst being the ‘Spring and Autumn Period’ (772 B.C. – 481 B.C.) Confucius had no specific doctrine of his own, neither had he set up any organisation.

When the feudal system of the Zhou Dynasty came to an end all states became self governed, their desire was to establish influence. The larger states desired to disempower the weaker ones, which brought disunity and schism. Hence, the degeneration of humanity became a common sight. In an attempt to restore humanity among the dukes, nobles and commoners, Confucius educated them empathetically on benevolence, the unique quality of human conduct which could be preserved and realised by man.

Confucius said: “Benevolence is the characteristic element of humanity.”

And: “The duties of universal obligation are five, and the virtues wherewith they are practiced are three. The duties are those between sovereign and minister, between father and son, between husband and wife, between elder brother and younger, and those belonging to the interactions between friends. Those five are the duties of universal obligation. Wisdom; magnanimity, and energy, these three are universally binding. The means by which they bring these duties into practice is singleness.”

From the above quotation it is made distinctly clear that the teaching of Confucius, who is reverently known as the “Model Teacher of All Ages”, is also very applicable to our modern society of today.

Lord Buddha:

Buddha, one of noble birth, was born in the sixth century B.C. at Kapilavatthu, and was surrounded by all the pleasures a life of luxury could give. Having encountered  sufferings of birth, aging, sickness and death, andhaving realised that all material comforts are but a passing fancy, he decided to will himself for the Path of Liberation. Upon enlightenment, Buddha perceived all sufferings of man were pertaining to both sexual craving and an obsession with sex. To deliver man from all forms of suffering. Buddha emphasized widely on compassionate love and purity of mind. His first discourse was the Four Noble Truths

1. The Noble truth of Suffering.
2. The Noble truth of the Origin of Suffering.
3. The Noble truth of the Extinction of Suffering.
4. The Noble truth of the Path that leads to the Extinction of Suffering.

Thus Buddha said: “Not only the fact of suffering do I teach, but also the deliverance from it.”

“Our hearts shall be unwavering; no evil word will we send forth; and we will be filled with tcompassion for others’ welfare. We will be of kindly heart free from resentment: and the man who thus speaks will we suffuse with thoughts accompanied by love. Making that our standpoint, we sill fill the whole world with loving thoughts, far-reaching, wide-spreading, boundless, free from hate, free from ill-will, and so abide.”

And: “All phenomena are like a dream, an illusion, a bubble and a shadow. Like dew and lightning, thus should you meditate upon them?”

Lord Jesus Christ:

Christ was born during the tyrannical rule of Herod who expected too much from his people. This could be easily proved through witnessing:

1. The heavy taxation he imposed upon them
2. The common sight of slavery
3. To the extent of demanding that all the male children aged two years and under from Bethlehem and neighbouring areas be killed. This was to appease his anger and fears regarding a newborn child who he suspected would grow up to be the King of the Jews and replace him as King.

Under such pathetic circumstances Christ sought not only for man’s repentance and the redemption of his sins, he also preached of the inherent equality and freedom of man’s
nature, and his capability for flourishing Universal Love.

It was his desire to awaken man’s reality of life (this is vividly illustrated in Genesis;
Chap 1: 27)

“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created He them.”

“In His own Image” denotes the inheritance of refined qualities and the Universal Love of God. It means that at his very essence man is holy, and has a vast potentiality for wisdom. This is the sole reason that man rules supreme above all the creations of God. As this is so man should not succumb to self-defilement.

Thus Christ said: “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

“But I say unto you which hear, love your enemies, do good unto them which hate you. Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.”

Prophet Muhammad:

Muhammad was born in Mecca in Saudi Arabia in the year 571 A.D. He was orphaned at an early age; he could neither read nor write. The Arabs with whom he lived were primitive and ignorant. Having no religion they worshipped idols. Growing up in this environment Muhammad noticed the meager sufferings and calamity of the people; and yearned to live an upright life shunning all kinds of evils.

At the age of forty, in a cave, Muhammad received his first Divine Revelation from the Angel Gabriel, and thus began his prophethood. He expounded the importance of loving kindness, being economical and mutually supporting others.

Thus the Koran says: “Mankind were but one community; but then they differed; and had it not been for a word that had already gone forth from thy Lord it had been judged between them in respect of that wherein they differ.”

“The life of the world is but a sport and a pastime. And if you believe and ward off evil, He (God) will give you your wages, and will not ask of you your worldly wealth.”

With the extracted quotations from the scriptures of the five worldly religions we can well comprehend that the philosophers are striving (albeit at different periods in civilization) towards ONE ULTIMATE GOAL. They came in succession to provide guidance and instruction to men’s need to trace their origins, and to reveal that the original truth consists in the surrender of all selfish Will and Purpose to the Will of the Creator of all. Therefore, to affirm universal peace and stability men must work hand in hand towards A SINGLE OBJECITVE OF UNIVERSAL TRUTH or THE GREAT TAO rather than to establish their own selfish and wrongly interpreted conviction.